The purpose of this Action Research project was to understand the educational needs of the underserved communities in rural Appalachia and to significantly enhance the fairness of currently limited access to Mountain Institute STEM Academy (MISA) STEM seminar programs. Cycle 1 research was conducted with STEM faculty from two rural Appalachian…

Despite ongoing debates over the adequacy of evidence regarding the positive impact of costs for instruction on student success, alternative teacher compensation systems, such as merit-based pay or performance-based pay, have already been implemented in numerous school districts across the nation. If increases in teachers' motivation are due to…

This study illuminated the experiences and perceptions of high school counselors in low-performing schools. The study specifically explored the impact of the role of high school counselors on student engagement and outcomes (i.e., chronic absenteeism, dropout rate, and graduation and completion). A literature review revealed a need for research to…

Determining the factors that influence implementation of school-based wellbeing and health programs is essential for achieving desired program effects. Using a convergent mixed-methods, multiple informant design, this study considered factors that influence implementation of health programs for ninth grade students and in what ways implementation…

Education seems to have both an increase in standardization and teacher burnout. The loss of control could leave teachers feeling unimportant in their own classroom. This article explains how one teacher used reflection to find and create autonomy, reigniting her passion for her job. Through celebration, reflection, and authentic connection,…

The authors investigated the effects of a collaborative after-school inclusive sports program on adolescents with disabilities and neurotypical students in underserved high schools. The program brought together a large urban school district and a private after-school program to provide a service on the school site. The goals were to provide a…

Declining student engagement has been an ongoing concern for educators, education researchers, school administration, and policymakers for the last 40 years (Axelson & Flick, 2011), with socioeconomically disadvantaged students being the most susceptible to disengagement (Finn, 1993; Jensen, 2013). The discourse surrounding declining student…

Background: The underrepresentation of Black and Latinx students in STEM is highlighted due to structural impediments. Although AP mathematics classes are being introduced as a solution, students from underprivileged schools continue to confront challenges. The study project seeks to investigate the obstacles associated with teaching AP…

In this case study, ten successful, veteran secondary teachers described their decision to remain teaching in a high-needs high school. These participants shared devotion to students, appreciation of colleagues, belief in social justice, and appreciation of diversity and challenge as reasons to continue teaching at the school. Surprisingly, there…

This study sought to examine the kinds of mindsets that the participating teachers demonstrated in their teaching and the impact of teachers' mindsets on their ways of teaching mathematics and science. Seven teachers who were teaching science or mathematics in high-needs schools in the urban context of the Bronx, New York were the participants of…

Background: Disasters cause significant human and monetary destruction and society as a whole is underprepared to address them. Disaster preparedness education is not covered extensively enough for health professionals or for the general public. Methods: A disaster preparedness education intervention was performed using a non-randomized controlled…

Accountability policies through standardized testing are widespread in diverse educational systems. Based on an ethnographic research study, we sought to understand how a learning assessment policy, used for over three decades in primary and lower secondary education, is lived and interpreted in daily school life in Chile. This article analyzes…

This study examined the perceptions of educators to determine if they felt that they were adequately prepared to teach in a high poverty school setting. The participants, educators from four school districts, completed a survey based on their perceptions of their own level of self-efficacy and preparedness to work in high poverty schools. The…

This study explored teachers' involvement in decision making processes in instructional leadership teams (ILTs) in three high-poverty high schools. Two factors influenced the extent of teachers' involvement and authority in decision making processes on the team: (1) the design of teachers' roles on the ILT and (2) routines used for agenda setting,…

In South African high schools, many learners have limited support in making career related decisions to prepare them for the world of work after school. An important early transition for career-related decision-making is at the end of Grade 9 when learners are expected to decide which subjects they will select for the last phase of high school.…